MYOG: Sawyer Squeeze Modification – Making the Bags Last Longer

The Sawyer Squeeze is an excellent ultralight filter. At 3 ozs, it adds very little to any pack and had endless options. When we first switched to the Squeeze filter for our 3 season trips, we noticed the lamination separating from the bags and the bags began to fail.

To mitigate the problem, we modified our largest bag to be used as a gravity filter. While the Squeeze is slower as a gravity filter, the weight savings and reliability more than make up for the wait time.

There are much simpler ways to do this, such as using tape, but we wanted to make the modification as reliable and clean as possible.

Step 1:
Poke a hole through the bag, making sure not to hit the water storage portion of the bag.

Step 2:
Widen the hole to fit the rivet. I used a Easton stake.

Step 3:
Feed the rivet or eyelit and rivet in place. You do not need a press like the one pictured, there are hand rivet tools.

Step 4:
Cut and tie the cord into the bag, making sure you leave enough slack for it to be hung.